Monday, January 16, 2012

Besides visiting with special friends in Gatlinburg in December and seeing all of the gorgeous Christmas lights and decorations, George and I also took time while we were in the Smoky Mountains to make a quick trip to one of our favorite places, Cades Cove.

I love Cades Cove during all seasons ---and one of these days, I need to share different photos from each season for you in one blog post... BUT--today, I'll share some WINTER photos taken by us in December, 2011.

The picture above shows the John Oliver cabin in the distance ---along with the mountains in winter AND the beautiful blue sky. Wouldn't you love to have a cabin like this in the mountains somewhere???? I'd LOVE it!!!!!

Be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them!!!!

We took one of the dirt roads across the cove ---and stopped to take pictures of the valley and the mountains.

This is my Sweetheart ---also taking pictures in Cades Cove. Isn't the sky just gorgeous on that mild December day????

You can see the little dirt road we were on that day... There's just no place like Cades Cove in the Smokies!!!!! (I'd love to see it with snow on the ground sometime!)

We saw several deer out and about the day we were there. I snapped this picture with my long-lens---and didn't realize until I got home and put it on my computer that there was a little one lying there near his mother.... Neat, huh?

We passed by some turkeys eating (and paying no attention to us) in the field.

I had to show you this side of the turkey so that you could see some of his pretty colors.

Here is one more beautiful photo of the SNOWY Smoky Mountains, from beautiful Cades Cove. Be sure to enlarge this picture. Such an awesome place!!!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

I have talked quite a bit about our little trip to Gatlinburg in December with good friends, Judy and Charlie. Today I will share some more pictures from this trip. We truly had a wonderful time together. The four of us share a love of nature and traveling. This little getaway gave us some time just to be together and enjoy each other for awhile.

Judy and I either are emailing each other ALOT ---or texting each other. We came into Gatlinburg on one end of town and Judy and Charlie came in from the other direction. We were texting each other at that time. This sign is what I saw once we got to town!!!!! Most people have visited Gatlinburg --if you live in this general area. My parents even brought me here MANY MOONS ago --when the 'Burg was a small mountain town. Today, that area has grown like crazy --and many, many tourists visit here during the summer, fall, and on holidays.

Hope you enjoy the photos. Be sure to click on them for enlargements.

This picture was taken in downtown Gatlinburg --as we headed toward our motel (Rocky Waters).

Here is the restaurant where the four of us ate dinner that night... This is the Park Grille --and we recommend it.. I especially recommend the grilled salmon... YUM.

This is a great photo of our special friends, Judy and Charlie. This was taken at the restaurant. Judy and Charlie are such an inspiration to George and me.. These two love to camp and hike. They are such great hikers that they hike up to Mt. Le Conte EVERY year. They also have hiked ALL the way down into the Grand Canyon. I just wish I had a half of their energy!!!!

Recently, while visiting their son and family in Phoenix, they got to go back to the Grand Canyon in addition to several other national parks. These two collect national park stamps like we collect waterfalls.

Here is a picture of the four friends ---which George took with his tripod.. Can you see how tiny Judy is??? Her hubby laughs and says that if she gets shorter, he'll have to get a child's seat for her in the car!!!!! ha ha

And finally, George took this picture of two very special friends. Neither Judy nor I have any sisters... SO--we are like sisters... We can fight like sisters (and we do)---but we also can love like sisters... Hope you have a special friend in your life like I do...

Judy and I both have tons of friends ---thanks be to God... But--it's great to have that one person whom you can say ANYTHING to, that you may not say to others... Even though we can disagree, there's a special respect there which is not always the case in relationships.

Thanks, Judy and Charlie, for a great great trip and for your friendship!!!!!

Monday, January 2, 2012

The first known publication of a collection of Nursery Rhymes was in 1744, and the first confirmed collection of Nursery Rhymes using the term, "Mother Goose" was published in 1780. Isaiah Thomas published the first authorized AMERICAN edition of "Mother Goose's Melody". The book I remember as a child was published in 1916. Rand McNally and Company re-published the collection of Mother Goose Rhymes as "The Real Mother Goose". And in 1928 the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes arranged by Logan Marshall was published in Chicago with illustrations by Julia Greene.

Maybe you are wondering why I am talking about nursery rhymes!!!!!! WELL---when we were with our friends in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on Dec. 11, we drove down an area which featured light displays of some of the popular nursery rhymes... The child in ALL of us came out ---as we looked at these displays. Hope you enjoy seeing some of these nursery rhymes depicted here for you today. Remember to click on the photos for LARGER pictures.

Can you guess what nursery rhyme this picture is depicting?????? See if you can figure it out.... (Answers at the bottom)

How 'bout this one???? Bet you can guess this one, since you can see part of the title!!!! ha ha

This nursery rhyme is a 3-parter... See if you can figure out which nursery rhyme this one is... Bet you can!!!!!!!

Did you get it??????? I was just so impressed at these displays... The child in me popped out (as you can imagine) ---as we saw these depictions...

OKAY---if you missed any of these three nursery rhymes, here they are....

1. HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE
Hey Diddle Diddle, the cat and the fiddle; The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such fun, and the dish ran away with the spoon!!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Pigeon Forge, TN does a creative job when it comes to Christmas lights. If you have ever been to Pigeon Forge, you will know that there's one LONG main road going through the town.. The road is divided with a big median between. This year, inside the median, along the way, the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was depicted using light displays. We couldn't stop to get photos ---but it was great seeing "Five Golden Rings", "Nine Lords A-Leapin", "Two Calling Birds" etc. etc. etc... I loved it ---and maybe someday, we can get pictures of those depictions. They were awesome...

We did manage to get pictures in areas where we could stop.... Here are some pictures in Pigeon Forge for you to see today.. Click on the pictures for larger shots.

The picture above is a neat little building along the road ---all decorated... We found out when we got home that this is the front of a big Holiday Inn in Pigeon Forge...

Here along the side of the road is a light display of "the old mill" in Pigeon Forge... There is an old mill in that area --and in fact, one of our favorite restaurants in Pigeon Forge is "The Old Mill"....

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These next three pictures are neat since they all go together... These were taken at Patriot Park and show an EAGLE in motion.... The first one shows the eagle taking off. The second one shows the eagle picking up a fish for lunch... AND the third one shows the eagle in flight as he leaves with the fish.... Look at all three of them in sequence...

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And finally, here is an absolutely gorgeous Christmas Tree which was near Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. We drove near to get some good pictures of that tree..

Have a wonderful day --and I pray that you have all of your shopping done and are now relaxing and able to enjoy the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Monday, December 19, 2011

After seeing the lights in Gatlinburg (this past Friday's post), we drove to the nearby area of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to park and walk around Patriot Park. We had been to this park before a few years ago (with Judy and Charlie)---but there were some different light displays this year... They usually keep some 'old favorites' at the park--but they add new displays each year... Here are some of the displays we saw this year. You can enlarge the pictures to 16x10 by clicking on the photos.

The picture above shows a great depiction of the Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima by our MARINES. To the left is an ARMY tank.

Since they were honoring all of the branches of the armed forces, this picture shows a NAVY Aircraft Carrier in the center. And--you can see the airplane to your left --representing the AIR FORCE.

This picture shows a COAST GUARD Cutter. I loved seeing the details in these wonderful light displays.

AND here is a better picture showing the airplane belonging to the AIR FORCE.

These next two pictures are displays that are at the park every year... This Paddlewheeler represents life along the big rivers here in the USA.

And this neat display shows a Plantation Home beside the Live Oak trees, complete with Spanish Moss.. I visited some plantations like this one in southern Lousiana. (Ever been to Oak Alley?????) Wow!!!

Finally, here is one more picture showing my favorite this year, the Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima... AND---if you look above the flag, you will see a gorgeous "almost-full" moon shining over us!!!! How AWESOME is that!!!!

Friday, December 16, 2011

As I mentioned in my last blog post, George and I spent a few days in the beautiful Smoky Mountains with good friends, Judy and Charlie. We went just to be together and enjoy each other's company at the Rocky Waters Motor Inn---but we also went to see the gorgeous Christmas lights in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. (Those city leaders go ALL out in those 'resort' towns, and George and I haven't been there during the Christmas season in awhile. By going during the week before schools are out, there weren't many people around --which was wonderful!!!)

Before dinner, Charlie drove us through Gatlinburg ---but we didn't get any pictures then. BUT--my Sweetheart later (after we got back to the room) walked back down toward town and took a bunch of great photos... Hope you enjoy seeing some of Gatlinburg all lit up for the season!!!! In the picture above, you can see the Space Needle sticking up in the distance... Anyone who has ever spent time in the 'burg has been to or seen the Space Needle. Click on the pictures to enlarge them...

This big horse could be seen from our motel... Isn't he gorgeous?

Want to take a walk through the lights????

For those who know about Gatlinburg, this picture was taken near the Aquarium. Love the Christmas tree!!!!

I have many more pictures to show you ---but that will be next week. There were fabulous pictures in Pigeon Forge and we walked around Patriot Park and took patriotic pictures... SO---that will be next week. Hope you enjoyed some pictures from Gatlinburg today.

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About Me

Welcome to my blog. Hubby and I are retired and live in beautiful Fairfield Glade on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. We enjoy Traveling, Hiking, Searching for Waterfalls, Gardening (especially flowers including our ROSES); and I love my Backyard Birds and also working on Family History. Hope you enjoy my blog!